AGS 3.0 Final - it's been a long road

[Pumaman]

Some other issues with the plugin API:
- Room scripts don't seem to be reachable through the Scripts class. Doing something like "_editor.CurrentGame.Scripts.GetScriptByFilename("room1.asc")" will bring up an exception.
- Games saved with plugins will bring up warnings if those plugins aren't found, even if said plugins don't save any custom data.

The CurrentGame.Scripts collection holds game-wide scripts. Room specific scripts are held within the room itself, but I don't think these are exposed on the plugin API. I'll look into it.

[subspark]

I think you should know that the items in the list pane such as general settings, colors have different names in their tab text. General Settings turns to Game Settings and Colors turns to Palette. Even Sprites turns to Sprite Manager. Is this technically and aesthetically correct, CJ or should it be refined?

Cheers,
Paul.

[khnum]

I have a problem with gui transparency: even if i change the value (i check using a display command), it is always shown completely visible; i tried with RC1 and beta 14

[RickJ]

In the View editor I created a new folder, in that folder I created a new view.  In the view pane I checked the "show preview" box and got the following error message.  The AGS editor continues running however.

Error: Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation.
Version: AGS 3.0.0.16

System.Reflection.TargetInvocationException: Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation. ---> AGS.Types.InvalidDataException: Invalid script name; name must only include letters, numbers and underscores
   at AGS.Types.Utilities.ValidateScriptName(String name, Int32 truncateToLength)
   at AGS.Types.View.set_Name(String value)
   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
   at System.RuntimeMethodHandle._InvokeMethodFast(Object target, Object[] arguments, SignatureStruct& sig, MethodAttributes methodAttributes, RuntimeTypeHandle typeOwner)
   at System.RuntimeMethodHandle.InvokeMethodFast(Object target, Object[] arguments, Signature sig, MethodAttributes methodAttributes, RuntimeTypeHandle typeOwner)
   at System.Reflection.RuntimeMethodInfo.Invoke(Object obj, BindingFlags invokeAttr, Binder binder, Object[] parameters, CultureInfo culture, Boolean skipVisibilityChecks)
   at System.Reflection.RuntimeMethodInfo.Invoke(Object obj, BindingFlags invokeAttr, Binder binder, Object[] parameters, CultureInfo culture)
   at System.Reflection.RuntimePropertyInfo.SetValue(Object obj, Object value, BindingFlags invokeAttr, Binder binder, Object[] index, CultureInfo culture)
   at System.Reflection.RuntimePropertyInfo.SetValue(Object obj, Object value, Object[] index)
   at AGS.Editor.ProjectTree.projectTree_AfterLabelEdit(Object sender, NodeLabelEditEventArgs e)
   at System.Windows.Forms.TreeView.OnAfterLabelEdit(NodeLabelEditEventArgs e)
   at System.Windows.Forms.TreeView.TvnEndLabelEdit(NMTVDISPINFO nmtvdi)
   at System.Windows.Forms.TreeView.WmNotify(Message& m)
   at System.Windows.Forms.TreeView.WndProc(Message& m)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.OnMessage(Message& m)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.WndProc(Message& m)
   at System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.Callback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)

Btw, does anyone think else think that single clicking on the navigation tree would be more convenient than double clicking?  I know it's a bit late and that perhaps it's already been discussed, I appologize in advance if this is the case.

[edit-1]

Unable to register for Vista Game Explorer: Unable to replace resource: BeginUpdateResource failed

I also get this error when doing a "Build All" under Win2000.

Also where is the .AGS file or how do I build it?   Has it been obsoleted in this version?

[edit-2]
Now another error -  previously I did a "Build Exe" that crashed because of not enough disk space.  There was an error listing but I did not post it here because it was my fault I ran out of disk space and everything seemed to be alright.  And so I did the stuf in Edit-1 above.

Next I tried to test doing a "Run" command from the menu.  I said that AniTest.exe was already in use.   So I exited the editor and tried running the game AniTest.exe from file explorer.  Afain the same message.  I started the AGS editor again  but was unable to load the game getting this error:

! An error occured whilst trying to load your game.  The error was: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.

If you cannot resolve the error , please post ....

{list of function calls relating to bitmaps, sprites, and sprite manager}
{can't cut and paste from message box                                              }

I think the disk space crashed somehow wiped out the only object's sprite.

[Khris]

I have a problem with gui transparency: even if i change the value (i check using a display command), it is always shown completely visible; i tried with RC1 and beta 14

Is your game set to 256 colors?

NOTE: Transparency currently only works in hi-color games.

(Maybe I should add that it works fine for me and always has.)

[subspark]

Btw, does anyone think else think that single clicking on the navigation tree would be more convenient than double clicking?

I agree entirely however I believe a single click action should only apply to non expandable list items. If a single click could activate the expandable item then theres no point in being able to click the + in the first place.

I believe AGS also needs the ability to:

• Sprite preview on double click. (Shows full sized sprite at 100% scale)
  
• Ability to move sprites into folders.
  
• Better sprite management with import character tool.
  
  Cheers,
  Paul.

[Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens]

I'm positive that I brought up the idea of single-click navigation through the tree views way back in one of the early betas, CJ, and I believe your concern at that time was difficulties with updating the currently selected tab (and saving the changes made in between).  I think it would be a great idea, however, and would cut down on the need to open up several tabs just to make a slight change here and there!  Alternatively, this functionality could be added as an option in preferences?

[Pumaman]

I think you should know that the items in the list pane such as general settings, colors have different names in their tab text. General Settings turns to Game Settings and Colors turns to Palette. Even Sprites turns to Sprite Manager. Is this technically and aesthetically correct, CJ or should it be refined?

Whilst I'd normally say that this is too minor to both with, I can somehow forsee it getting posted as a bug once a month unless I change it, so I'll do so!

I have a problem with gui transparency: even if i change the value (i check using a display command), it is always shown completely visible; i tried with RC1 and beta 14

As KhrisMUC asks, what colour depth is your game?

In the View editor I created a new folder, in that folder I created a new view.  In the view pane I checked the "show preview" box and got the following error message.  The AGS editor continues running however.

Thanks, I'll get this fixed.

Btw, does anyone think else think that single clicking on the navigation tree would be more convenient than double clicking?  I know it's a bit late and that perhaps it's already been discussed, I appologize in advance if this is the case.

As Progz says this has been suggested before, it's a reasonable suggestion but not something I'll do for the initial release of 3.0.

Unable to register for Vista Game Explorer: Unable to replace resource: BeginUpdateResource failed

I also get this error when doing a "Build All" under Win2000.

Hmm that's strange, has anyone else had this error? The only time I've seen this reported was under WINE, which didn't support the BeingUpdateResource method.

Also where is the .AGS file or how do I build it?   Has it been obsoleted in this version?

There is no longer a .AGS file; the EXE is built directly. It was basically an intermediate compilation file in 2.72.

I think the disk space crashed somehow wiped out the only object's sprite.

That's possible. If it runs out of disk space whilst writing the sprite file, it's perfectly possible that the file could get corrupted and you'd lose your sprites.

[Dualnames]

Hey, Chris sorry to bother with rather stupid request and such.. but ok tilll now what troubles me are the following
1)You can't use File commands to delete a file. Though somehow AGS can delete files(savegames)...
2)File commands work only if the file is in the compiled folder. If you put the file in a folder into the compiled it can;t be opened..
3)PlayVideo function works this way

Code: ags

PlayVideo("Compiled\Data.wmv",1,1);
 when there is no music.vox
But then you have to change the line and put all the files in the main game folder thous creating one great mess..

[Pumaman]

1)You can't use File commands to delete a file. Though somehow AGS can delete files(savegames)...
2)File commands work only if the file is in the compiled folder. If you put the file in a folder into the compiled it can;t be opened..

These are deliberate choices, to increase security and to give game players confidence that the game can't damage their computer by randomly deleting or accessing their files.
However, it would be reasonable to allow you to delete files from the game folder, if that would be useful.

3)PlayVideo function works this way
PlayVideo("Compiled\Data.wmv",1,1);

Not sure what you mean here. Why are you putting "Compiled\" into your file name?

[khnum]

As KhrisMUC asks, what colour depth is your game?

I'm using 32-bit, i know it doesn't work using 256 colors

[RickJ]

Also where is the .AGS file or how do I build it?   Has it been obsoleted in this version?

There is no longer a .AGS file; the EXE is built directly. It was basically an intermediate compilation file in 2.72.

The reason I ask is that games that make use of RunAGSGame() to call mini games can reduce the size the their distribution by ditributing .ags files for the mini-games rather than the exe files.  I suppose that I could buy the argument that it's not enough of a problem enough of the time to be concerned about it, especially in modern times where a few hundred KB is hardly worth mentioning.   

The one bright spot is that the MiniGame module won't have to check for it any more and the documentation won't have to explain what it is.   More bytes, less confusion; it's a fair trade-off I suppose. 

[monkey0506]

However, it would be reasonable to allow you to delete files from the game folder, if that would be useful.

The ability to delete files within the game's compiled folder would be great. Presumably such a function would reject anything with extensions such as EXE, VOX, DLL, CRM, etc. which are clearly game-essential files.

Also, this isn't really the place for feature requests (especially now that this has finally gotten to the long-awaited RC stage), but while we're on the topic of AGS's file manipulation functions, would it be possible to implement a function for prepending to a file (appending to the beginning of a file)? The only alternative now is to manually rewrite the entire file which is slow because it has to be read out one and written back one char at a time (actually I'm not sure but ReadRawLineBack may work as well, though for longer files it would still be slow).

I'm using 32-bit, i know it doesn't work using 256 colors

It works fine for me in most cases. One thing to note is that transparency does not work with alpha-channeled sprites so if your GUI background has an alpha channel (for whatever reason) (or possibly even if any Buttons have an alpha channel) then transparency will not work.

The reason I said 'most cases' is that specifically when working with my Flashlight module, while switching back and forth between alpha channeled and non-alpha sprites I've encountered some strange behaviour, but it's likely not a related issue.

[khnum]

One thing to note is that transparency does not work with alpha-channeled sprites so if your GUI background has an alpha channel

Oh, that's why it didn't worked 

[Dualnames]

1)You can't use File commands to delete a file. Though somehow AGS can delete files(savegames)...
2)File commands work only if the file is in the compiled folder. If you put the file in a folder into the compiled it can;t be opened..

These are deliberate choices, to increase security and to give game players confidence that the game can't damage their computer by randomly deleting or accessing their files.
However, it would be reasonable to allow you to delete files from the game folder, if that would be useful.

3)PlayVideo function works this way
PlayVideo("Data\myvideo.wmv",1,1);

Not sure what you mean here. Why are you putting "Compiled\" into your file name?

The file is at g:/documents and settings/jimmy/desktop/compiled/data/myvideo.wmv
I wrote the code wrong by accident.
PlayVideo("Data/myvideo.wmv",1,1);
that should be correct.

[Elessar]

I'm not sure if it's been suggested or not, but it would be nice if the there was an option to sort the sprites in the editor by number. If they get out of order, it's a pain to try to put them back to how they were. Also, (although this may be too much work) it would nice to sort them by loop, since adding sprites later gives totally different numbers.

Finally, it would be nice if the sprite numbers to start over in each folder and sub-folder.

[GarageGothic]

Finally, it would be nice if the sprite numbers to start over in each folder and sub-folder.

Um, and how exactly would you refer to a sprite in script if they didn't have unique numbers?

[RickJ]

Finally, it would be nice if the sprite numbers to start over in each folder and sub-folder.

Um, and how exactly would you refer to a sprite in script if they didn't have unique numbers?

Elessar is going down the path towards sprites having enum values. 

[subspark]

It would be nice to be able to renumber sprites. I know AGS is reliant on static numbers but this could change could it not?

Cheers,
Paul.

[Scorpiorus]

subspark, it's already possible to change sprite numbers in the editor (since AGS v2.56 as I see):

Sprite Manager :: Right click over a sprite :: Change sprite number...

It should of course be used with care.